The present invention is a method for playing a card game between a player and a dealer. Specifically, the present invention is a card game in which players place two wagers: a wager on the outcome of a game against the dealer and a wager on a community hand formed from all the player""s cards and the dealer card against a predetermined schedule of winning hands.
It is well known in the art that two major factors affect the profitability of a casino game. One is the house advantage and the other is the xe2x80x9cactionxe2x80x9d or quantity of hands that can be played in a specified period of time. In jurisdictions in which the house advantage is set by gaming regulation, casinos seeking to increase profitability are limited to increasing the action of existing games or finding new games in which a large number of hands can be dealt in a specified period of time.
An example of a common card game that a large number of hands can be dealt in a specified period of time is Blackjack. In Blackjack, players attempt to form a hand with a final hand total as close to twenty-one as possible without exceeding twenty-one. When calculating the final hand total, each card has a value equal to its face value except face cards, which have a value of ten, and aces, which may have a value of eleven or one, as the player selects.
Play of Blackjack begins with each player making a wager in a wagering area on a playing surface. The dealer deals two cards to each player and two cards, one card face up and the other face down, to himself. Any player receiving a total of twenty-one in the initial dealt hand, referred to as a xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d or Blackjack, is rewarded, typically at a rate of 2:1 or 3:2, and play is terminated as to that player. Remaining players examine their hands and xe2x80x9chit,xe2x80x9d i.e. receive another card, or xe2x80x9cstand,xe2x80x9d i.e. stand on the player""s current hand total. If the player hits and receives a card which causes his hand total to exceed twenty-one, the player busts and the player""s wager is immediately collected and play is terminated as to that player. A player may hit as many times as the player wishes as long as the player does not bust.
A player may also have additional options available depending on the initial hand dealt. If a player receives a predetermined sum, the player may have the option to xe2x80x9cdouble down.xe2x80x9d Although the availability of the double down option varies depending on the house rules, the option allows a player to double the player""s wager in exchange for a single additional card. For example, if a player has an initial hand total of ten the player may wish to double down by placing an additional wager equal to the player""s initial wager to be dealt a single additional card. The player is not allowed to hit after doubling down.
Similarly, if the player receives a pair, i.e. two cards having the same face value, the player may double his initial wager and xe2x80x9csplitxe2x80x9d the pair. By splitting, the player is allowed to use each card of the pair as a base for a separate hand. For example, if a player were to be dealt a pair of sevens, the player may choose to split the pair and play with two hands each having an seven and an additional dealt card. The player may the play the hand to completion by hitting, standing, or, depending on the house rules, splitting or doubling down.
After all the players have completed their hands, the dealer completes the dealer hand by hitting or standing as the house rules dictate. If the dealer busts, all players who did not bust or receive a Blackjack are rewarded. After completing the dealer""s hand, the dealer resolves the wagers. In resolving wagers, players with a final hand total closer to twenty-one than the dealer""s final hand total are rewarded, typically at 1:1. Conversely, wagers are collected from players with a final hand total further from twenty-one than the dealer""s final hand total. If the player and dealer push, i.e. have the same final hand total, the player""s wager is returned.
The drawback to Blackjack, however, is that large payouts are not available. Similarly, Blackjack is a solitary game in which each player is playing separately against the dealer. Thus, the game lacks the team atmosphere that many players enjoy.
Another game that can be dealt quickly is video poker. In the conventional game of video poker known in the art, a gaming device is provided wherein the player makes a wager and the device""s processor selects from a data structure containing data representing cards in a deck of playing cards, five cards to be displayed face up to represent an initial hand. The player selects which, if any, of the five cards of the initial hand to hold and prompts the processor to discard the remaining cards. The discarded cards are replaced with replacements selected from the data structure to produce a final hand outcome of a five card Poker hand. The video poker device compares the final outcome to the pre-determined winning combinations also stored in a data structure, these combinations frequently representing ranked Poker hands. If the player""s final outcome matches a winning combination, the player is rewarded. Otherwise, the final outcome is deemed to be a loss and the player""s wager is retained.
These games, though popular, are becoming commonplace. Also, it is known that many players prefer games, unlike Blackjack and video poker, in which a collegial atmosphere is created. For example, in Craps, all wagers depend on the same roll of the dice. Thus, players betting with the shooter, for example Pass Line bettors, tend to exhibit somewhat of a team spirit during play that is attractive to many players.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a new game in which a high number of hands may be dealt and includes an additional feature that allows a collegial, team atmosphere.
A method for playing a card game between at least one player and a dealer using at least one standard deck of playing cards begins by providing a playing table having a number of player positions. The player or players occupy the player positions. Optionally, at least four player positions are provided. In a further optional embodiment, six player positions are provided.
Each player makes a first and second wager. The dealer deals one card to each occupied and unoccupied player position and to the dealer. The card at each occupied player position is compared to the dealer card. A reward is issued to a player based on the player""s first wager if the player""s card outranks the dealer card. If, conversely, the dealer""s card outranks the player""s card, the player""s first wager is collected. In an optional embodiment, the player""s wager may be returned if the player""s card ties the dealer""s card.
In an optional embodiment, an automatically winning card may be provided. In such an optional embodiment, a player receiving the automatically winning card is rewarded based on the player""s first wager if the dealer does not have a predetermined automatically winning card. If, conversely, the dealer too has an automatically winning card, the player""s first wager is returned, i.e. the player and dealer push.
In another optional embodiment, an insurance wager may be provided in which a player receiving a predetermined card is allowed to place an insurance wager less than the player""s first wager. Optionally, the insurance wager is equal to half the player""s first wager. If a player making an insurance wager has a player card that is outranked by the dealer card, the player""s insurance wager is collected and the player""s first wager is returned. If a player making an insurance wager has a player card that outranks the dealer card, the player is rewarded based on the player""s first wager.
In yet another optional embodiment of the present game, a supplemental wager may be provided in which a player receiving a predetermined card may place a supplemental wager equal to the player""s first wager. If the player""s card outranks the dealer""s card, the player is rewarded based on the sum of the player""s first wager and supplemental wager. If, however, the player""s card is outranked by the dealer""s card, the player""s first wager and supplemental wager are collected.
After resolving the first wagers, a community hand is formed by using the cards dealt to the occupied and unoccupied player positions and the dealer card. Optionally, the community hand is the highest ranking five-card poker hand possible from the dealer and player cards. The community hand is compared to a predetermined schedule of winning hands. If the community hand is a winning hand, a reward is issued to each player based on the player""s second wager. For example, in an optional embodiment, players may be rewarded if the community hand is a straight, flush, full house, straight flush, four of a kind, five of a kind, or royal flush. If the community hand is not a winning hand, the player""s second wager is collected.
In an optional embodiment, the dealer may deal two cards, a first card and a second card, to himself or herself as explained below. As above, the player card at each occupied player position is compared to the first dealer card and a reward is issued to a player based on the player""s first wager if the player""s card outranks the first dealer card. As above, optional embodiments may include features such as an automatically winning card, an insurance wager, or supplemental wagers.
As above, after resolving the first wagers, a community hand is formed by using the cards dealt to the occupied and unoccupied player positions and the second dealer card. The community hand is compared to a predetermined schedule of winning hands and a reward is issued based on the player""s second wager if the community hand is a winning hand.